Farewell, Ginevra
by deweyreadmorebooksfan
Summary: Harry decides to embark on his mission to destroy the Horcruxes alone, but first he needs to say goodbye to the only person who meant to him the most. HPGW based on farewell scene in Episode 31 of Rurouni Kenshin


A/N: Hey, everyone! I decided to do an HG oneshot while I'm trying to finish my Rurouni Kenshin fanfic entitled _How the Tiger was Tamed. _Anyway, after watching Kenshin's heartwrenching farewell to Kaoru in Episode 31 of Rurouni Kenshin, I was inspired to write this fanfic.

For the record, I was listening to _Cavalleria Rusticana - Intermezzo_ while writing this fic, the theme used in the sayonara scene in RK.

Disclaimer: I really don't own Rurouni Kenshin and Harry Potter. They both belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki and J.K. Rowling, respectively.

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Farewell, Ginevra

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A week after Harry's narrow escape from the Death Eaters, the Weasleys were now busy making preparations for Bill and Fleur's wedding. Mrs. Weasley was baking the wedding cake, waving her wand to get flour and cake mix. Hermione was helping her as well, reading the recipe from a very old cookbook (presumably the Weasley's Great-Auntie Muriel's). Charlie was in charge of the decoration, with the Weasley twins on their brooms, decorating the trees and shrubs with their products from the joke shop, while at the same time annoying Ron by sprinkling their latest invention of powder on his hair that turned pink in the process.

Ginny was walking past her family doing these activities at the Burrow. Her mother told her to pick some blueberries at their backyard. As she walked, with a basket in her hand, Ginny could not help but wonder how time flew by ever since she was a young girl, and her brothers would treat her like the little princess as she is still now. But Bill is now getting married to Fleur, and although Ginny will always be the little princess in his eyes, she knew that Bill would set his eyes on his daughter if he will have one.

As the hem of Ginny's white sundress brushed on the grass edges, she spotted a small wooden cross on a mound of earth under a tree. She hung her head. Even though Mad-Eye may seem a bit gruff on the exterior, he protected Harry until the very end. She now wished the war will end pretty soon. In Ginny's mind, she knew that all their lives are now short. She thought of George who lost his ear after being hit by a curse from a Death Eater while rescuing Harry.

_Harry…_

Now as Ginny thought of the boy to whom she has given her heart, she knew that he has the shortest life among the rest of them. The Dark Lord is after him and now that Dumbledore is gone, he is now free to kill Harry anytime. Harry has little time left before he destroys all the Horcruxes. Ginny could never forget that day, shortly after Dumbledore's funeral, where they ended their relationship, explaining how she would be in danger if the Dark Lord finds out of her involvement with him.

Ginny brushed those thoughts in her mind and walked past Mad-Eye's grave.

Later that night, Ginny was helping Hermione clean up the table and put the plates in the sink where the resident ghoul would wash them. As Hermione was waving her wand to clean the table, Ginny turned to Hermione.

"Hermione, do you know where Harry is?"

Hermione shrugged a little bit, "I don't have the slightest idea. I saw him earlier talking to Remus and Mr. Weasley, but after that..." she trailed off.

Ginny sighed and proceeded in organizing the saucepans in the cupboards, kneeling down to open one of them.

"Don't worry, Ginny. I know Harry's still safe. He won't let his guard down, now that…Voldemort's after him." Hermione replied, wincing a little bit as she said the name, but nevertheless, gave Ginny a reassuring smile.

Ginny giggled, "I bet Harry forced you to say his name now." She said

Hermione rolled her eyes but laughed.

After Ginny finished arranging all the pots and saucepans in the cupboard, she abruptly stood up.

"You know what, Hermione, I think I'll go find him!" she smiled and ran out through the door.

"Wait! Ginny! There might be Death Eaters out there!" Hermione exclaimed but Ginny had already vanished in the darkness. As Hermione groaned, a disheveled Ron in his pajamas came in the dining room.

"What happened here? Where's Ginny?" he asked, yawning.

"She went out through the door. She's going to find Harry!" Hermione said.

At this, Ron burst out, "BLOODY HELL! WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?" And before Hermione could say another word, he ran out of the door into the darkness.

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Ginny ran along the grassy fields of the Burrow and now she reached the entrance of the forest. It was summer and it was quite warm. As she looked up, the moon was not in sight, but there were a myriad of fireflies that shone like stars. She had never seen such fireflies this many before. She imagined herself and Harry together under this beautiful sight, being married, and all her family are there to celebrate.

"This is the first time I've seen this much fireflies since my time in Little Whinging."

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, turning towards the voice. There, appearing in the darkness of the forest, she saw a tall boy with messy jet black hair and bespectacled emerald almond eyes. Of course, she never missed the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. As the boy was approaching her, however, Ginny remembered the warning gave to her by her father and so she immediately drew out her wand and pointed it at the startled boy.

"What is the name of Ginny Weasley's pygmy puff?" she asked threateningly.

At this, the boy smiled, "It's Arnold. You've been showing him off to me two summers ago."

Ginny smiled and lowered her wand. It was indeed Harry. But now, Harry had his wand pointed at her as well.

"What is Ronald Weasley's greatest fear?" he asked in the same threatening voice.

Ginny giggled, "A spider, of course!" she replied.

Harry smiled and lowered his wand. Ginny, however, noticed that Harry's emerald eyes reflected sadness. Her smile slowly faded.

"Harry?" she said, wanting to know that everything was all right.

"I've been at 12 Grimmauld Place earlier." Harry said, his voice getting dark, "I've talked with the members of the Order regarding the Horcruxes."

"I remembered you mentioning about that when we..." Ginny paused, the memory of their break-up still twisting the strings in her heart before she continued, "Does it have something to do with…" she took the strength to say the name, "…Voldemort?"

"Yes." Harry replied, "The Horcruxes contain a fragment of his soul, Ginny. I already destroyed one of them, the diary."

Ginny winced at the memory of her first year, where she was possessed by an evil diary to open the Chamber of Secrets and set a monster to petrify all Muggle-borns, including Hermione.

"That was…a Horcrux?" she asked, her voice becoming soft.

Harry nodded, "There are some of them left. I have to find them before Voldemort can control the entire Wizarding World."

There was a long pause. Only the chirping of the cicadas can be heard as an eerie silence hung between them.

"Are you going to do this alone?" Ginny finally asked.

Harry grimly nodded, "I have to, Ginny. It's too dangerous to involve anybody here."

Then suddenly, Ginny flared up at Harry, and he was certain that he could see Mrs. Weasley standing in front of him instead.

"What do you mean it's dangerous for us to get involved? We're all with you, Harry! We'll all help you! If you want, we can all go and search for those bloody Horcruxes! Please…" she trailed off, her brown eyes now pleading at him.

But Harry wasn't looking at her now. He was looking very far away, towards the Burrow. Ginny could not fathom what he was thinking, but she was certain that she could see a bit of nostalgic stare in Harry's eyes.

"The longer I stay here, Ginny, the more I put all of you in danger." He finally spoke, and before Ginny could say another word, he added, "Look at George and Mad-Eye."

Ginny hung her head in defeat. There was nothing she could say to convince Harry. "So, when are you leaving?" she asked.

"Tonight."

Ginny looked up, "But can't this wait until after Bill and Fleur's wedding?" she asked, surprised at Harry's decision to leave.

"Ginny, time is running out. Voldemort's building up his army and he could infiltrate the Ministry. I don't want any more innocent people to be hurt here, especially the Muggle-borns."

Another wave of silence hung again between them. The fireflies were still lighting the trees, as if intently listening to the two.

"Ginny."

Ginny did not bother looking up. She was on the verge of crying. Harry was going to leave her and she will never know if he will ever come back to her.

"The moment I stepped in at platform nine and three-quarters during my first year and I first saw you, how you really wanted to see me, I knew at the back of my mind that we would one day develop a very strong bond."

"But Harry, I was young then." Ginny said, blushing a little bit at the memory.

"That's not all, Ginny." Harry now looked at her, his emerald eyes now staring at her intently, all the memories from the time he met the Weasleys until that very moment flashing through his eyes like a slideshow, "As the years went by, with me visiting the Burrow every summer just to escape from my Muggle family who never showered me with much love, I saw myself grow into somebody better, feeling the love that was taken away from me the night my parents were murdered. Each day I spent here, I thought that I could live like an ordinary wizard with a family who accepted me like a son and brother and who was always by my side during the lowest moments in my life. And in truth, I really did."

For Ginny, the moment after Harry stated those words was a blur, but she was entirely sure she will remember that moment forever. She saw the fireflies now flitting off the trees in unison and now, a wide-eyed Ginny felt the strong arms of Harry encircling her body into a tight embrace. They stayed like that for a long time, as the fireflies flew past them, and a soft gust of wind was felt. But none of those mattered to the two.

"I want to thank you, Ginevra, for everything, for those memories that I shared with you for all these years. For now, I have to leave, to protect you and everybody that means very much to me." Harry said softly. Ginny felt the tears now falling from her eyes. She could no longer hold them back. This was already a farewell and she could probably never see Harry again.

"Farewell, Ginevra. Give my regards to Bill and Fleur for me." He finally said, loosening his hold around her, and finally releasing her before he could turn away and disappear into the darkness of the forest. As he faded in the darkness, Ginny's tears never stopped falling.

"Harry…"

She felt her knees would give way. She felt very weak after the turn of the events.

"Harry…"

Finally, when she heard a faint pop from the distance, Ginny knew that the Boy Who Lived, the boy that she eternally loves, was gone, not knowing whether he will return to her.

She felt her knees buckle and she gave way, kneeling on the grassy ground before crouching and weeping, sobbing Harry's name as the tears fell endlessly to the grassy grounds.

Ron found her shortly after, still weeping and whispering Harry's name. He ran and embraced his younger sister, who wrapped her arms around him, still whispering Harry's name. At this, something dawned on Ron.

'It couldn't be that Harry…' he thought, but he would have to talk this out with Ginny tomorrow. For tonight, he needs to comfort her. He knew that something about Harry greatly upset her this time and he knew that his best friend had already made his decision in fighting Voldemort alone.

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Please R&R on what you guys think of this story! :)


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